South African brothers helping fight Ebola with mobile app innovation

Mobile app development is a key driver in innovation and in solving process problems, be it business-based, consumer-based or for organisations that are fighting global phenomena such as Ebola. Two South African brothers, and Stellenbosch University graduates, have developed an app that is helping fight the Ebola crisis.

Ebola has spread rapidly, with the latest WHO report estimating at least 1 400 infections since its first outbreak earlier this year. According to Bill Gates, there are key lessons which need to be learned from the Ebola epidemic, of which the biggest is the fact that the world has far to go before it is prepared to combat an even larger disease threat. Read the full article here. But some are finding innovative ways to deal with such epidemics now, and in the future.

Technology continues to advance globally, and innovation is a value which is fast becoming celebrated within the technology and business industries. However, technology and innovation without a measure of bettering the environment in which we live and enabling optimal functioning, health and social care, is not beneficial to the global population. It is within this context of understanding that the Journey Mobile App Development platform was used to develop an android app that could help fight the Ebola crisis. This app was recently featured in Forbes as a credible tool for helping the medical industry fight Ebola.

The Ebola Care App

The Ebola Care App, which can run off both Android and iOS, was developed by South African brothers Philip and Malan Joubert, who are also founders of the Journey Platform. They designed the app as a means to assist healthcare professionals working in Ebola-affected areas, with the primary feature being the ability to trace individuals who have been infected in order to prevent new infections from occurring; this is done by using the phone's GPS to track and locate patients.

The app also enables the collection of patient data, the location of needed staff resources, and the efficient co-ordination of ambulance teams, as well as child carers for abandoned and vulnerable children. The data captured is transmitted to cloud servers and then made available to various healthcare workers, border agents, Ebola researchers and other professionals through integration with Google docs. If there is no available internet connection, data is able to be stored on the mobile device until WiFi or a cellular network is accessible.

The Journey mobile app development platform is quick and easy to deploy and therefore allows for the rapid development of this app across multiple platforms. According to the brothers, their team places high value on this project and have personally funded phones in order to get the app out there. They have been supported by organisations working on the frontline, such as GlobalGiving, More Than Me and Imani House. This app is already being used to manage Ebola efforts in Liberia.

Listen to the interview with Philip and Malan Joubert on how they developed this idea here.

Grove's Mobile App Development Capability, which is a partnership with Journey and Mobipad, focuses on B2E, B2B and B2C mobile solutions that are fast, customisable and easy to deploy. Grove's expertise, platforms and delivery capability means any mobile application requirement for any device or constituency can be addressed quickly and cost effectively using the Grove Mobile App Development Portfolio. If you would like to find out more about the mobile app development platform and how it can be used to optimise and innovative your business processes, please contact us at marketing@groveis.com.